Seth Rogen stars in the kinds of films that would cause any self-respecting parent to shield their child’s eyes.

His cult classic, Pineapple Express, is a “stoner crime drama” about duelling drug mafias. North Korean officials have called Rogen’s upcoming film, The Interview, an “act of war” for a fictional plot that has his character scheming to assassinate leader Kim Jong-un. In general, we wouldn’t advise that kids copy his shenanigans.

But Rogen has his finer points. He’s cofounder of Hilarity for Charity, which started as a comedy show in 2012 to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research but has since evolved into a charitable organization.

He reconciles these identities — the toilet humour and the testimony before U.S. Congress to plead for research funding into dementia — because he’s combined his love of comedy with a cause close to him. Rogen’s mother-in-law was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2006.

“I found a cause that directly involved me. And I found a way to raise money for it that involved doing what I enjoy doing anyway.”

Rogen says this personal investment is the only reason he’s managed to stay motivated in his fight against Alzheimer’s.

Maybe it’s helpful for volunteers to have skin in the game.

We had a chance to talk to Vancouver native Rogen, 32, and his wife, actor and Hilarity for Charity co-founder, Lauren Miller, at We Day California about being selfish and selfless.

There, Rogen spoke to 16,000 young volunteers about how he had little history with charity because he didn’t feel compelled to give back — until his mother-in-law’s diagnosis, when the degenerative brain disease became part of the family’s daily life.

The thing is, Rogen is not alone. Most Canadian volunteers give back because of someone they know. The National Survey of Giving and Participating (NSGVP) sought out motivations among Canada’s volunteers, and while almost all (95 per cent) said they believe in the cause, the vast majority (69 per cent) also said they were personally affected or knew someone personally affected by the cause.

Other motivations included “use my skills and experiences” (81 per cent) and “explore my own strengths” (57 per cent).

It seems counter-intuitive to wonder what’s in it for you when donating your time, since social convention dictates that charity is for the greater good. But research consensus indicates that many volunteers, especially young people, are also motivated by the opportunity to refine talents and explore potential careers — all self-interested (though laudable) goals.

Along with what’s best for the planet and the good of humanity, résumé building is often a leading motivating factor for youth who give up their free time.

A separate study found that when a spokesperson solicits support for a cause, targets of the request find it harder to say no when the advocate has a personal connection to the issue. In fact, participants were more skeptical of advocates without an obvious link to their advocacy work. The paper mentioned Michael J. Fox and his foundation for Parkinson’s research.

Of course, it’s not a prerequisite to have a relative battling cancer in order to raise money for research. We’d argue (as Rogen has) that self-fulfillment is also inherent in combining a cause with a talent or passion. Rogen’s insight into the allure for comedians like Aziz Ansari, Paul Rudd and Mindy Kaling, who’ve all appeared at Hilarity for Charity events, is this: “Comedians like doing comedy.”

“If we asked comedians to come up and give a heart-wrenching speech about their experiences with dementia, I’m sure we would have had a much worse turnout,” Miller added.

The chance to sharpen their skills sweetened the deal.

Rogen summed up his theory: “You can be selfless and selfish at the exact same time. You can do the stuff that you love doing and you could make it help other people.”

Rogen has more role-model potential in real life than he does in the movies.

Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity, Free The Children, the social enterprise, Me to We, and the youth empowerment movement, We Day.

Marc Kielburger:
Marc is one of the world’s leading figures in corporate social responsibility, social activism and youth empowerment. A Harvard and Oxford graduate, Rhodes Scholar, and international ... read morebestselling author, Marc is also co-founder of Free The Children and We Day.
Craig Kielburger:
A humanitarian, social activist and best-selling author, Craig has inspired a generation of young people to be active global change makers as co-founder of Free The Children and We Day. Craig has received national and international recognition, including The Roosevelt Freedom Medal, and is one of the youngest recipients of The Order of Canada.View author's profile